Mammoth woman pleads not guilty to charges after fatal accident

During the early evening of September 7th, defendant Amelia Markarian, age 65, of Mammoth Lakes, was driving northbound on Highway 395, just south of Highway 89 in Mono County.

Amelia Markarian

Due to her intoxication she failed to negotiate a right-hand turn and crossed over the solid yellow line dividing the roadway. She collided head-on into the victim’s vehicle, being driven southbound by Coleville resident Christopher Harper, killing him instantly.

Further investigation revealed that Ms. Markarian had a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit.

She was charged by the Mono County District Attorney’s office with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving while under the influence of alcohol and with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or more and causing great bodily injury.

She was arraigned on September 12th in the Bridgeport courthouse, and pled not guilty. She is being held on $2,000,000 bail. Her next court date is October 10th.

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22 Responses to Mammoth woman pleads not guilty to charges after fatal accident

More dui checkpoints, please.
To those of you who feel DUI checkpoints are unconstitutional, you know who you are. Try and look at the big picture, try and think of somebody other than yourself and try and be a little more willing to “Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good” (Indian commandment #8). Life is too precious.

“It’s not whatcha got, it’s what you give
It ain’t the life you choose, it’s the life you live.”

Yeah , That,s the ticket . Take our rights away because of a minority of accidents , she never meant to kill that guy . But you would love to see a Road Block with Big Brother at every intersection .
Just another Ant on the Hill. No Thanks.

In 2015, 10,265 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (29%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
Of the 1, 1,132 traffic deaths among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2015, 209 (16%) involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

These stats are misleading. Even incidents where the driver who was determined to be “impaired” was NOT at fault are included, and then it’s implied the fatality was directly related to the impairment. The inflated stats will then be used to justify more money flowing to law enforcement, and more DUIs means more money flowing to the local judicial coffers, and more money flowing to prohibitionist movements like MADD, who’s yearly take of 50 million in dontation and grants spends over $12 million in salaries, pensions and benefits alone each year.

Look at the examples on the link, people still aren’t learning, people are still driving drunk and innocent people are still dying because of them.
I’ll admit that I think there are too many people on this planet, but why do the innocent have to die a bloody, mangled mess on the highway? I’m sick of it.
I think the only thing that will persuade somebody that has has had a few too many drinks to call a cab or allow a friend to drive them home is the possibility of driving into an unannounced dui checkpoint. Even that may not work since some people get real hard headed when drinking.
I wonder how many of those who are in prison for killing somebody while driving drunk would have preferred getting a dui at a dui checkpoint rather than waking up every morning in a prison cell knowing that they killed somebody and changing the lives of a lot of people.

It’s an question of rights. It’s a belief that their rights are being trampled when they are subjected to a DUI checkpoint, even though courts have repeatedly ruled to the contrary. Yet some folks still cling to the erroneous notion that they’re being treated unfairly.

INYOFACE…..you say “she never meant to kill that guy “…..are you trying to be funny ?…maybe seen as a “minority of accidents” to you,but doubt Mr.Harper’s family sees it that way….what do you suggest ?…should Mono County give her a mulligan with this one,since she’s a senior citizen and “didn’t mean to kill that guy ” ?….remember your statement there if you ever lose a loved one to a drunk driver…..see how you’d think about things then….

Trouble….like Tinner says above….think of someone else besides yourself….speaking for myself,it wouldn’t bother me one bit if I had to go through 2 minute check-points everyday(unless,of course,if I was drinking and driving ) if it meant keeping some drunks off the highway and preventing these types of accidents…but understand,in this day and age….in “trump’s America”….all that really matters is me,myself,and I….and what’s being “taken away” from ME….and the hell with anyone else if YOU don’t know and/or love them….

It’s always the innocent that get manned or killed by some selfish drunkard! Tougher laws on duii would be a great start 2 duii ~~~~~~~lose your license for life. Way to many families lives ruined forever because some drunk idiot decides to drive drunk !!

stoopid…..instead of a big mouth,take your stance….find and seek out the next checkpoint…..get to it,refuse to open your window and go through your motions….see how it ends up for you,as your crying about being inconstitutional…..and let us all know how it turns out for you at the Inyo County jail and vehicle impound yard….

It seems the conversations here as on most sites these days is a flux of arguments regarding peoples rights and the such. What about Chris Harper’s rights ?? His rights have been silenced. He was a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. A hard working husband and father..belonged to my church and was known for his kindness..and willing to help anyone in need. We as a church family know that Chris is at peace..I pray the system does him justice and do what we ALL would like it to do.